How To Make Your Car Journey Less Stressful With Kids!

Keeping little ones entertained in a small space like the car is tricky but we need the kids quiet and seated, so we can focus on the road. On longer journeys kicking backseats and cries of ‘Are we there yet?’ are an all too familiar experience for parents. Thankfully, the mums and dads in our office have masterminded the ultimate list of tried and tested games to make travelling with kids less stressful for all the family.

Going On A Trip

This game is very exciting for children as it can be personalised to the journey that you’re going on, be it the beach, the zoo or even school. Adults can also entertain the kids by picking very silly items. One passenger says; ‘I’m going out on a trip and I’m bringing a banana’ followed by whatever item comes to mind. The next player must remember that item and add something else to the list. The game continues until every player is knocked out for forgetting an item.

Colour Finder

An easy and entertaining game suitable for all ages, Colour Finder sees who can spot the most yellow or orange or red (or any colour) cars on the journey. Set up a points system depending on the type of vehicle that is seen too – so get five points for a car, seven for a van and 10 for a lorry. For older kids, you could make it more difficult and competitive, by setting a time limit and giving each a different colour and whoever finds the most in ten minutes wins.

Buzz In

Simply choose a word and ask children to listen out for it on the radio, on road signs, on buildings, on advertising and in conversation along the journey. As soon as a player hears the word they shout ‘Buzz.’ This is a great game for adults because it means the children stay relatively quiet looking and listening for their words. You can even make it more exciting by allowing the kids to pick their own buzzer sound.

20 Questions

Think of a character and ask the kids to guess who you are in just 20 questions. They will ask questions like ‘Are you a singer?’, ‘Are you a man?’. You can only respond with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and slowly but surely your identity becomes clearer. They can work together as a team or compete against each other to keep them even more focused.

What Happens Next

Starting with anyone in the car, tell the first sentence words of a story. Each person in the car then has a turn at adding on the next sentence. The story can end up as silly or as ridiculous as the kids can make it and each person can have a go starting their own story. Simple!